The Dutch government has collapsed. What happens next?
THE HAGUE Netherlands AP Dutch opposition parties called Wednesday for fresh elections as soon as practicable a day after anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders sparked the collapse of the country s four-party coalition regime Prime Minister Dick Schoof s -month-old administration fell apart when Wilders withdrew his Party for Freedom ministers Schoof and the ministers of three remaining parties remain in power as a caretaker Cabinet The governing body with limited powers now has to lead the country for months before new elections and during what could again be protracted talks to cobble together a new coalition in the fragmented Dutch political landscape after the vote Lawmakers can declare chosen program areas controversial during the caretaker period That restricts the authorities from taking concrete action on those issues What happens now The Dutch electoral commission will schedule a general referendum for all seats in the Second Chamber of parliament It is very unlikely to happen before the fall because of a parliamentary recess that starts July and runs to Sept and that will be followed by several weeks of campaigning What does Schoof want In a announcement to lawmakers Schoof explained he wants to keep control even in caretaker mode of vital policies over the coming months As far as I m concerned it s about protection both nationally and internationally including sponsorship for Ukraine and everything that s needed for defense he disclosed He also wants to be able to act on the commercial sector including the global commerce war unleashed since the start of U S President Donald Trump s second term because that can have a direct effect on the Dutch economic activity and on our business area But Schoof acknowledged that particular other policies will be put on ice until there is a new coalition The last thing we want now is postponement but it is unavoidable in several cases he announced What do opposition lawmakers want They want to go to the polls I hope we can organize elections as promptly as feasible in the shortest viable time noted Frans Timmermans the former European Commissioner who now leads a two-party center-left bloc Timmerman s bloc of the Labor Party and Green Left is challenging Wilders party for top spot in Dutch polls Wilders won the last elections in November Lawmakers used Wednesday s debate to attack Wilders for failing to make good while in office on his electoral contest pledges in what sounded like a proxy electoral debate You turned your back on these people Jimmy Dijk of the Socialist Party noted suggesting that Wilders apologize to his voters And it s not just the opposition that wants elections Wilders also is looking forward to campaigning Let s go back to the voter he revealed What about the NATO summit and help for Ukraine The ruling body remains committed to hosting the meeting of regime leaders from the NATO alliance in The Hague later this month Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp took to X soon after the administration s collapse to stress that the meeting will go ahead despite the political turmoil We remain fully committed to organising the NATOsummit in The Hague We look forward to welcoming all NATO Allies on June he wrote He also disclosed the Netherlands will continue to advocacy Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression The Netherlands has provided key arms to Kyiv including F- fighter jets We remain committed to European cooperation and prevention Dutch advocacy for Ukraine is a key part of that he wrote Source
